Saturday, 31 May 2008

Very blond, well-boned, expensively jeaned buyers have been pouring into East Village apartments for so long that it’s hard to find new excuses to complain about the area’s über-gentrification. But then again, it’s hard to remember when someone as upsettingly young as Lily Donaldson, the 21-year-old Vogue cover girl, spent anything like $2.2 million on a neighborhood apartment, especially one that happens to be as far east as Avenue B.

Her new two-bedroom place on Tompkins Square Park around East Eighth Street could be the most expensive co-op ever sold on the block, The New York Observer reports.

She has Brazilian cherry wood floors (“that glow with the setting sun,” according to it's listing), two bathrooms with original pedestal sinks and cast iron tubs, a 40-foot-long living room with six windows facing three directions, and, of course, a dressing room off one of the two bedrooms.

On the downside, the building is massively nondescript and un-frilled, plus the apartment needs work. “I’d put money into it,” Mr. Davis said, “I’d bet she will, too.”

Ms. Donaldson was “the highest bidder and very qualified. The board liked her and approval was unanimous, which is always a concern when you’re dealing with a young model,” the broker said. “You’re never sure how a board would see her.”

Monday, 19 May 2008

The reason why Agyness Deyn was dropped as the face of Burberry can now be revealed.

An insider at the fashion house told me that celebrity snapper Mario Testino – described as the company's advertising visionary – is fed up with the hype surrounding the elfin model who aimed to topple Kate Moss as the queen of British fashion.

Asked why Agy had been dropped less than a year after pinching the role from her rival, the checked-cap mole told me: 'She was just a flash in the pan. Last year she was quirky but now she is challenging Moss in the fame stakes by positioning herself everywhere. That kind of popularity just hasn't sat well with Mario, who is looking for something different'.

Deyn, real name Laura Hollins, has long played the fame game.

She is a regular on the celebrity circuit and has made several high-profile showbiz appearances, including presenting a prize at the NME music awards and collecting the model of the year gong at the Elle style awards. She has also just made a pop music video.

But the 26-year-old's attempts to eclipse Moss in the popularity stakes seem to have backfired – as well as losing the Burberry contract she also failed to make a list of the top ten richest models, in which Moss came third. To make matters worse, it seems Testino is not just looking for a new face – he wants a younger one, too.

The snapper – famed for his photos of Princess Diana – is thought to want to replace Deyn with 21-year-old Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

The Devon beauty, a D&G underwear model, has reportedly already been booked to front Burberry's autumn campaign.Asked why Agy had been dropped less than a year after pinching the role from her rival, the checked-cap mole told me: 'She was just a flash in the pan. Last year she was quirky but now she is challenging Moss in the fame stakes by positioning herself everywhere. That kind of popularity just hasn't sat well with Mario, who is looking for something different'.

Pictured, Rosie at dinner hosted by Jefferson Hack in New York this month.

Wednesday, 7 May 2008

Monday night saw the rich and famous strutting their stuff on the red carpet at the entrance to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, in aid of fashion's biggest event - the Costume Institute Gala, complete with superhero theme.

Many a celebrity was in attendance, including the Beckhams, Julia Roberts, Eva Longoria, Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise - but what really matters around here, the models, are the ones who really stole the show.A good amount of the industry's most prominent models were there as guests of the top designers. The best dressed of the night included regular guests Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady, wearing Atelier Versace and Tom Ford respectively (pictured); Jessica Stam in Proenza Schouler; Karolina Kurkova in Vera Wang; Natasha Poly in Phi; Liya Kebede in Jonathon Saunders and Kate Moss in Stella McCartney.

Relative newcomers to the guestlist included Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, looking stunning with new bangs and in Burberry Prorsum (pictured); Lily Donaldson, also in Burberry Prorsum; Doutzen Kroes in threeasfour, Anja Rubik and Coco Rocha, both in Pucci and Jourdan Dunn in Bill Blass.

Overall the night was an overwhelming success on the model front, and witha wide choice of afterparties to keep them going into the early hours, it's really no suprise!

Friday, 2 May 2008

Smiling model mum-to-be Alessandra Ambrosio has been spotted taking some well earned rest this week with friends and boyfriend Jamie Mazur at Coachella music festival in California; she has also been spotted shopping several times in Los Angeles at both Kitson and Ed Hardy. The baby is believed to be due around early September.

Monday brings the Metropolitan Museum's annual Costume Institute Gala, one of the biggest events on New York's fashion calendar. Designers attend, accompanied by models, and it's generally one very glitzy affair! So, which models are attending this year and in aid of which designer?